4 Feng Shui Tips for Financial Health

You may be surprised to learn that your home
surroundings can affect your financial health. The Chinese art of feng
shui is based on the science of energy alignment in one's living and
workspaces to help optimize health, wealth, and happiness in one's life.
You can learn how to use it to empower you and unblock your vast
potential. My father, a feng shui master, passed down to me thousands of
years of wisdom about how to change people's lives through environmental
alignment with positive, constructive energy.

1. New Years: Out with the Old

Early in the New Year is a good time to assess
your surroundings. One principle for revitalizing your life through feng
shui is to cleanse, detoxify, and let go of the past. Would you like to
surround yourself with open space and colors that uplift the senses, or
be faced with clutter that elicits agitation?

Create some space in your home. Clutter leaves you feeling disorganized,
increasing your stress level when you can't find what you're looking
for. Clear out the clutter by donating, reselling, or recycling anything
you haven't found a use for in the past year -- and don't forget to keep
the receipt for a tax write-off.

Clean your living space thoroughly to remove stains, mold, and dirt. Get
rid of junk piles and any indoor plants that have died. Repair or
discard any broken, chipped, and cracked items -- these reflect aspects
of your life that are broken and can trap energy you need to free up and
use.

2. Metal: The Money Element

Feng shui principles observe that material wealth
correlates to the metal element. Therefore, to balance matters of money,
gold and silver color décor should be featured and metallic objects
should be intentionally placed around the home. For instance, place a
bronze sculpture in the foyer or a silver vase holding fresh flowers on
your dining table. Also, a waterfall placed in the western perimeter of
your home with the direction of water flowing towards east will bring in
metal elemental energies and expressions into your home, paving the way
for gold in your finances.

3. Symbols for Fruitful Finances

A traditional Chinese symbol of wealth and
prosperity is orange fruit. Consider planting kumquat or orange trees on
your property, in pots on your balcony, or even a bowl of oranges on
your dining room table. Images of fish, such as Koi or carp, symbolize
abundance and should be a welcome addition to any home's décor.

4. Grow your Own Money Tree

Recently, a popular practice among feng shui
aficionados is to have a money tree in your home. A money tree is an
indoor bonsai tree from the Panchira aquatica species that measures one
to two feet tall and has clusters of five-lobed leaves. Take good care
of the bonsai so that it radiates healthy, vibrant, and prosperous
energy in your life.

Of course, no matter how many money trees you
possess, your financial health will not improve if you do not also take
care of it on a practical level. You must institute principles of good
money management in your life, including setting budgets, living within
your means, and paying yourself first. Paying yourself first means
always put aside money in your savings before you pay your bills. These
are the ways to achieve abundance in your life.

Even with these small changes, you may be pleasantly surprised by how
much better you feel and the good changes that occur in your finances
and your life.

May you be healthy and prosperous! I invite you to
visit often and share your own personal health and longevity tips with
me.

Dr. Maoshing Ni is a doctor of Chinese medicine,
bestselling author and an authority in anti-aging medicine. He runs an
acupuncture and Chinese medicine practice in Santa Monica, California,
called Tao of Wellness, where his patients have included physicians,
Fortune 500 CEOs and celebrities. He is co-founder and Chancellor of Yo
San University in Los Angeles, where he teaches the art and science of
Wellness Medicine. Dr. Mao, as he is known to his patients and readers
has lectured internationally and has been featured on radio and
television as well as on the pages of The New York Times, Los Angeles
Times, and many other publications. He is currently featured as an
expert on Yahoo Health, where he writes a blog about longevity. For more
information on his bestselling book,
Secrets of Longevityand his
latest book,
Secrets of Self Healingand his other books, go to
www.askdrmao.com.